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Road show showcases alternatives to gasoline, diesel

ATLANTA ‑ Considering alternative fuels to power vehicles, dozens started a statewide tour on Tuesday as part of the annual Alternative Fueled Vehicle Road Show.

Georgia is one of the nation’s largest users of electric vehicles, according to Edmunds.com. It’s also a growing market for trucks and cars running on other alternative fuels, such as propane, biodiesel, ethanol and compressed natural gas.

Nearly 80 fleet managers, investors and curious individuals attended the tour’s first stop in Atlanta to learn more about such fuels.

“I go to a lot of different states, and there are not a lot of strong advocates for electric vehicles like you find in (the road show),” said Cornelius Willingham, southeastern manager for Nissan’s Leaf sales.

Peach State companies like UPS, the Marta transit system and school-bus maker Blue Bird have embraced alternative fuels for cost savings, reduced maintenance and environmental benefits.

There are 9,674 alternative-fuel vehicles registered in Georgia, according to figures the state Department of Revenue released Tuesday. Just 6 percent are registered to a business owner, and that is one thing the sponsors of the road tour hope to change.

For instance, EFACEC, which has plants in Rincon and Norcross, builds commercial charging stations for electric vehicles. So its business grows as property owners like an Athens residential developer and the University of Georgia install chargers for their workers and residents.

Also at UGA, scientists are working with colleagues at the Georgia Institute of Technology to develop new alternative fuels from items like pine trees.

“Since the pulp and paper industry is shrinking, we have a lot of trees on the stump that need to be utilized,” said Daniel Geller, a scientist in UGA’s college of engineering specializing in using algae to produce vehicle fuel.

Various state and federal grants, loans, tax incentives and technical advice is available for businesses and local governments wishing to install fueling stations or convert their fleets to alternatives to petroleum. It’s part of a decades-old initiative to reduce dependence on overseas oil providers.